


Roads to you

by WizzyGold



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, F/M, Fluff, Henry thinks, Land of Untold Stories, Mild Angst, Rumbelle Christmas in July, maybe? - Freeform, season 6 AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-23
Updated: 2016-07-23
Packaged: 2018-07-26 05:44:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7562602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WizzyGold/pseuds/WizzyGold
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Belle and Rumple are living peacefully in the Land of Untold Stories, but they both have family they want to give a second chance to in Storybrooke. There is only one problem, Rumple can't open a portal to the Land Without Magic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The land of Untold Stories

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Annythecat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annythecat/gifts).



> @Annythecat surprise!! I loveeed being your Santa =D and I hope you like your gift :3 
> 
> I also want to thank Danishnerdness for being my beta. You are the best <3

The land of untold stories was a clash of old and new that, in a strange way, worked quite well together. The flat Rumple had bought after spinning gold for a few hours was large for just the two of them, even if they decided to sleep in separate bedrooms (it had only happened for the first week after he had woken up his wife, and they had fought and talked and made love and  _ healed _ ).But, as it was now, almost four months into their new life, with their child on the way and growing quite healthily, they had a spacious three-bedroom flat and they shared everything.

 

Which was why Belle was very worried about her husband. In the last couple of days he had been quiet and would retire to his wheel for hours at a time.

 

He never missed a night in their bed. Even if he didn’t speak much he would just be content with gazing at her with such intensity that it made her blush. Now, though, he was looking out the window to nothing in particular, watching the city go by while wearing a look of hurt and concern.

 

“Rumple,” she began quietly, “what’s wrong, love?” she asked, placing a hand gently on his shoulder, growing more worried as her husband startled at her touch. He was usually so aware of his surroundings; whatever he had in mind was taking all of his concentration.

 

He looked at her, trying and failing to smile, barely lifting a corner of his mouth, and gently taking her hand in both of his, kissing her palm softly. “I’ve been thinking of Bae and what happened before we left the Land Without Magic.”

 

“With Henry? Him destroying magic and putting us in danger?” she asked, her hand going to her stomach. It had almost destroyed him, telling her how reckless everyone had been when it came to her. How he’d had to fight tooth and nail just to try to save them, and how he was met with resistance at every turn just because it was  _ him.  _ As if any of them hadn’t screwed up before, as if Belle and his unborn child weren’t innocent, his  _ unborn child _ . But, because it was the Dark One then it had to be some kind of evil plot. Even Baelfire’s son didn’t care about his father’s side of the family.

 

Belle had cried that night, they both had. Belle had lost some of her light, making him hate the so-called heroes even more, but time and being away from that environment had returned it bit by bit. It had helped him too. He was kinder to everyone around him, his smile more carefree and lighter. He had lost some weight without so much stress, they even got out every night to walk around the city, to get to know it and to do some light exercise. They even said hello to a few people they saw every day; business owners, dog walkers. It was great seeing her husband in such a positive ambiance, it had helped him a great deal.

 

Until now, apparently.

 

“Yes, with Henry. If my calculations are correct, today is Bae’s birthday and I can’t even visit his grave,” he swallowed hard, his accent thickening, trying not to cry, “and I feel like it should be a day spent with his loved ones, but his own son doesn’t want anything to do with us and his true love doesn’t seem to care about anyone that isn’t that damn pirate.”

 

She didn’t even wait until he had finished to climb on his lap, bringing his head to her chest and stroke his, now short, hair, cooing nonsense into his ear and kissing his temple and forehead while he sagged against her and cried. It had been too long since he had time to properly mourn. He actually never had a real chance to do so.

 

Belle knew what she had to do. “We should go.”

 

Rumple looked at her with a mixture of surprise and hope. “What?”

 

“We should go, you have to try to fix your relationship with Henry and I have to set my father straight. They both need to understand us, Rumple, because that was a large part of the problem, they didn’t know us, or worse, they thought they knew us and made decisions based on their assumptions. If it doesn’t work we’ll just come back here and resume our lives, build our family here, where we can begin from scratch, but we have to give our family a second chance. For their sake and ours.”

 

Rumple could only stare at her with an adoring and proud look on his face. “I love you so much.” He growled before kissing her with all the love he felt. It was a while before they discussed anything again.

 

A few days later, when they’d packed everything and arranged for the flat to stay closed for a time, giving a key for emergencies to Ms. Doyle, an elderly lady that lived next door to them and had been the first real friend they’d made on this land. They made it to a clearing a few minutes away from the city and grabbed a couple of suitcases from the sort of carriage that existed as cars in this land that reminded Rumple of cars Mr. Gold had seen as the first models to drive in cities a good hundred years ago. Giving his wife a nod, he waved his hand, a light purple smoke appearing a few meters away, leaving a door when it vanished.

 

“That’s it?” Belle asked.

 

“Should be. The first time I came here it was through a fountain.”

 

Belle laughed softly. “Ass. Go on then.”

 

Her husband snickered but complied, waving his hand again the door opened and a wave of magic coming from his hand shot to the door, hitting an invisible wall, making the air ripple as it were a pond of water. The magic ceased after a few moments but nothing else happened, making Rumple frown.

 

“Everything okay?”

 

“No portal was created. Something is blocking it.”

 

“Are you sure you can travel to Storybrooke? Isn’t it still a land with little magic?”

 

“I was in New York when I travelled here, even if the magic was activated by Henry, my power is far greater.”

 

“But Henry used the Truest Believer magic, right? He made people believe.”

 

“Yes” he responded a little warily, he could see the look on Belle’s eyes, she was thinking on something.

 

“Maybe it’s the type of magic, not the power.”

 

“You…you think this is just because I have dark magic?” he asked surprised. It couldn’t be that reason right? It had to be some problem with the portal.

 

“Not exactly dark magic, more like, the Dark One’s type of magic.” She explained awkwardly. “it’s just something I’ve been thinking about for a while. Maybe your type of magic is someone colliding with the portal, something to do with being the Dark One. Can that be possible?”

 

“I…I…don’t know. It has never occurred to me.” He was suddenly feeling light headed. The implications of this were…

 

“Rum?” his wife interrupted his train of thought, bringing him back to the present with her. “Are you alright? You seemed to wander off.”

 

“Yes, yes, it’s just, if what you’re saying is true then, Bae, all those years-” he couldn’t end the sentence, his body just collapsing on the grass, the suitcases falling from his numb fingers, he looked straight at the portal, his eyes unseeing.

 

Belle immediately sank next to him, minding her belly, and grabbed his face between her hands. “Rumple, Rumple no, you told me there were no beans and that Jefferson couldn’t travel there. That is not your fault.”

 

“But all the spells I tried, everything failed. I thought no one could do it if I couldn’t, but what if it was me? What if it was my fault?” The pain that shown through his eyes broker her heart in a million pieces and she embraced him, gently rubbing his back.

 

“You did everything in your power, Rumple, I know that. Bae knew that too and he doesn’t blame you, you two fixed things.”

 

“But I could have gone to him faster- “

 

“Then Henry would not have been born. You are a father; would you have changed anything in your life if it hadn’t brought you Bae? Marrying Milah, been left by Pan?”

 

“No, everything was worth it when he was born.”

 

“Then you know Bae felt the same. He didn’t regret his life if it brought him Henry, so don’t blame yourself. You did everything you could and in the end you two had made amends.”

 

He nodded, still a bit unsure but at least he was calm enough to actually think. He sat more comfortably, his trousers not as fine as the ones he’d had in Storybrooke but far more suitable to wear on a daily basis than his leather outfits. Belle was wearing a long but light dress with long sleeves and high collar, and she used her skirt as a blanket for her to sit. Her heels had been changed for flats a long time ago, since waking up. The fashion on the land of Untold Stories was different than most worlds he had been to; it seemed as a combination between the clothes he had seen Victor wear in his odd colourless world and, instead of the subtle and modern technology of the land without magic, there was a more robust and old fashions tech here, even if Belle and him found it more aesthetically pleasant. Belle often said it reminded her of a genre she used to read about in the library called “steampunk”. The men’s clothes varied mostly in colour and style, but the same trousers and suits applied here. He usually wore soft cream trousers with a white shirt and a red or blue vest, donning a jacket only if he had to run an errand downtown.

They had been thinking about opening a shop here. Selling antiques and books, maybe even expand to a coffee shop later on, something to do together and fill their days. A business to leave to their child in the future. But his insistence on reaching out to his remaining family had been too strong and he knew Bae wanted Henry looked after, wanted a relationship with his father. Besides, Belle deserved to mend things with her father, even if he couldn’t stand Moe and honestly thought he didn’t deserve a daughter like her.

 

They had to find a way to Storybrooke.

 

“We have to find someone who does magic. Preferably Light Magic.”

 

Belle nodded. “Magic users are not common here, right?”

 

“Not really. I know Ms. Doyle’s son sometimes uses potions but that is a kind of magic in on itself, it’s not necessary for the potion maker to have magic, it’s more the ingredients they use. Maybe Arthur knows someone.”

 

“They could open a portal for us, or teach you how.”

 

Rumple shook his head in the negative. “If it’s been the Dark One that is blocking my ability to travel to the Land Without Magic then it wouldn’t matter if I knew light magic. But it is useful for us not to rely on a third party to travel back and forth.” He looked at her meaningfully, her head that had been resting on his shoulder snapping up, looking at him like he had grown a second head.

“You are not thinking about me, right?”

 

“Sweetheart, it would be the best way. And it wouldn’t hurt the baby, since it’s Light magic.”

 

“But I wasn’t born with magic! The only spell I ever did was because you did the potion, I just had to pour it on a piece of paper.”

 

“I know, love, but everyone born in the Enchanted Forest has the ability to perform magic, some just hone it for longer than others. Part of us will always be pure magic. You’ve seen all the good magic can do, it doesn’t always have to be like what I did.” He said softly, his eyes concentrating on his hands, his fingers rubbing together nervously. Belle’s eyes soften, bringing one hand to caress his face gently.

 

“I know. And don’t think I don’t know that you did good things with your power too, besides freeing my land from ogres. I did talk to Bae while we were looking for you, you know.”

 

He looked at her sharply, a mix of fear and joy in his eyes. 

 

“Bae told me you stopped the Ogre Wars and rescued all the children, including Morraine, his best friend.” He sighed, nodding. “You only told me about the Duke and Hordor and I also know you arranged Snow and David to meet and stay together. My point is, I know magic is not bad, we have talked about what it made me feel before. I’m just afraid it’s not going to work for me.”

 

“Belle, you’re the most amazing person I know, you are extremely intelligent and dedicated when you put your mind to something. If I know of a person that can learn magic is you. The only problem is finding a sorcerer powerful enough.”

 

“Let’s ask Mary, see when we can talk to Arthur.”

 

He nodded and with a wave of his hand, dissolved the door. With a decisive nod he got up, helped Belle to stand and grabbing the luggage, with a wave of his hand transporting it to the automobile and grabbing Belle’s hand, and started to walk towards the car and back to the city.

Mary had been surprised to see them back so soon and informed them that her son was due in the city in a couple of days and that he would go straight to their flat when he arrived. They both thanked her and Belle decided to do some research regarding types of magic. Something a bit more in-depth than just Light and Dark.

 

Rumple kissed his wife but went to his desk to tinker with a pocket watch. He could spin now, but after Zelena and Hades it just didn’t bring him the peace it used to. He hoped he could spin to forget once again, maybe once their child was born and new memories started to replace the old ones, but for now, tinkering brought him peace and helped him think.

He didn’t know how much time had passed when his wife gently patted him on the shoulder, rousing him from his self-imposed trance, but when he looked outside to the window with a view over the city he realised with a grimace that it was night and that the sun had probably gone down a few hours ago now. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, time got away from me again.”

 

“I don’t mind; I actually love watching you work. But it’s time for dinner and I have to tell you all I found on portals.”

 

He nodded and they decided they could do with take out. It wasn’t the same as in back in Storybrooke and they would miss pizzas but they had something similar to hamburgers and iced tea, so it was enough for them. Belle was making sure she understood the bases on portals and what Hatters did when dinner arrived. Rumple paid the little robot equivalent to a delivery boy and they set out to eat, their discussion forgotten for the moment. They both got too distracted when Belle was reading and he was tinkering, so they never actually paid attention to how hungry they were until they had food in front of them.

 

“So,” Belle picked up the conversation once their bellies were full, “there isn’t much on how portals actually work, but not all barriers of worlds are ruled by the same type of magic.” Rumple nodded, he had researched all of this before. “Do you think it’s possible for some worlds to be shielded against a specific type of magic?”

 

“I, yes, actually, if the world was developed that way.”

 

“Well, from what you told me, the portal to this land was opened by Regina’s sister, meaning Dark Magic, at least the regular kind, can work here. Ingrid used the Sorcerer’s magic, which is Light Magic. The Dark Curse, while being dark magic had true love imbedded in it, so maybe that nullified the effect. Neverland is fuelled by belief and shadows don’t have a sort of magic.”

 

“You think that, using magic wielded by the Dark One, someone has blocked the entry to Storybrooke? To the Land without Magic?”

 

“I think it’s possible. It would make sense, Rumple. It was the only place where the curse couldn’t actually work.”

 

“It would be self-destructive to actually go.” He realised. It had all been the curse, the darkness, protecting itself, from no magic, from true love, from being destroyed. Rumple cursed, invoking a glass and a bottle of what passed for whiskey here before he could think about it. He was about to grab for the glass when he suddenly looked startled and met the eyes of his wife, who was smiling at him softly. “I…”

 

“Just one glass. I know it must be a lot to take in.”

 

He poured and vanished the bottle before he could think much about it, downing the shot in one go, the burn clearing his head a bit and the heat in his stomach centring him. He never liked to drink much, probably something to do with his father, but there were times when the pressure and the pain and loss was simply too much. He never got drunk though, that was something he had promised himself he wouldn’t do and so far he had kept that promise. 

 

“If your theory is correct, and I’m starting to see the logic behind it, then it must be you that learns the magic. Even if the voices have not bothered me since I took on the curse a second time and I don’t feel as paranoid as I used to, I can’t risk the magic failing and harming us when we travel, even rendering us in another world completely.”

 

“And you are sure you can’t teach me? At least the basics?”

 

“I don’t want to risk it. We could practice once you have the magic in you stabilized and under control, but until then I would prefer it if someone else taught you.”

 

“Alright, then I guess we’ll have to wait for Arthur. In the meantime I’ll look for books on light magic, some theory would be helpful in the long run.”

 

“Thank you, Belle. I know your father hurt you and that you’re doing this because you want to give him a second chance but, thank you.”

 

Belle curled up next to him, his hand going automatically to her belly that was starting to show. “Family is important, besides, it’s not fair that Henry doesn’t know how wonderful you truly are,” she kissed his cheek, her next words a murmur against his face, “how kind” a kiss on the corner of his mouth. “how smart” a soft kiss on his lips. “how loving.” Another kiss, this time longer and deeper. He reacted in kind, kissing her and holding her, bringing one of his hands to her hair, moaning softly when her hands delved into his short hair.

  
Research could wait, tonight they needed to express how much they meant to each other.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 

When Arthur arrived two days later Belle had a basic understanding in the works of magic and the price of it. She had been reading and studying, with Rumple quizzing her and helping her understand some of the concepts. All in all, he was very proud of her and the knowledge she had learned in such a short amount of time.

 

Both Arthur and Mary were sitting with Rumple and Belle on the dinner room table, cups of tea in hand, a plate of biscuits in front of them, discussing pleasantries; asking about Arthur’s trip, getting updates on Mary’s social life and their circle of friends. It felt…nice, and they both knew when they got to Storybrooke there would be none of that. Maybe Granny and Leroy would treat Belle right, for the did seem to care a great deal about her. But, Rum? No, he would have to return to being the monster everyone saw, to being the isolated man whose only friend was his wife, that was only spoken to when blame needed to be put and when someone needed magic for something. So, they both delayed the quest for a teacher for Belle for a little while longer.

 

Of course, that couldn’t last forever, so with a shared look, Rumple was the first one to speak, and sensing the change in topic, Mary excused herself to check on her pets.

 

“Well, Arthur, as you may well know, Belle and I are not from this world,” at the friendly nod from the man, he continued, “We are originally from the Enchanted Forest but our family lives in The Land of Without Magic and we are in need to get there. I have magic to make portals, but for a bit of complication I cannot form a portal to that world, so, we need someone who can teach Light magic. I was wondering if you knew of such a person?”

 

“You have Dark Magic, then, Rumplestiltskin?”

 

Rumple might have been a bit shocked, but he kept his face calm. “I do.” There was no point in lying about it. “My type of magic prevents us from creating a portal to that specific world. You can see where the problem lies.”

 

“I can. You want to learn Light Magic then?”

 

“Oh no, not me.” He said with a little smirk, looking lovingly at Belle.

 

“I’ll be the one learning.”

 

If Arthur was surprised he didn’t show it, opting to drink from his cup. “Good. I don’t really think combining Dark and Light magic is wise, too much conflict in one body. Besides, it would be good of you to know magic, Belle, it’s a good defence, especially now that you two are expecting.”

 

“Yes, that is true as well, even if I don’t end up using it much, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

 

“Indeed. So,” he started, placing the cup on the table and clapping his hands, “willing teachers. I know two people that have magic, but only one that would be willing to teach anyone. You’ll have to tell him you know me, and I’ll be sending him a letter to let him know you’re coming, otherwise he won’t trust you. You know magic users are a bit frowned upon here, with all the technology merging with magic.” At the Gold’s nod, the man continued. “You’ll have to be careful. This city is one of the most liberal ones, adapting to technology but still seeing the advantages of magic and magic users, but you’ll have to pass a couple of towns as well as Stark City, and those are heavily anti-magic. So, carry money, not your thread Mr. Gold, and take your carriage everywhere. The towns are mostly safe at night. I’ll be giving you a map and the contact information for my friend.”

 

“Thank you for the information, Arthur. What is your friend’s name?” asked Belle, grabbing a cookie. Lately her cravings were leaning towards the sweets.

“Well, he has no name that I know of,” replied Arthur, “and his…old profession is not something he is comfortable with, so I call him Robin.”

 

“Old profession?” Asked Belle, suddenly concerned.

 

“He was a Genie.” Arthur decided to let the Golds think on that for a minute, choosing to grab one of the chocolate chip cookies while his friends processed the information.

 

Rumple was the first to react. “How did he get away?”

 

“His previous master released him. Robin has been traveling the worlds after that, occasionally visiting his former master and his family.”

 

“I never thought that would be possible, that a person could let go of so much power.” Belle replied, startling her husband. He wasn’t sure if that comment was meant for him or not, but it made him feel guilty somehow.

 

Arthur shrugged. “Aladdin was already marring the Sultan’s daughter and would be living in luxury and comfort, in addition of being safe from harm, since Agrabah is a very quiet kingdom. But I digress, Robin is living in Stark City, I’ll give you the address before you go. You do know where Stark City is, right?”

 

“We do. We’ll buy one of your location robots just to be sure, though.” Said Rumple.

 

“It’s best. Remember what I said, people here can get really judgemental, especially if the user is a dark mage.”

 

“Rumple would never hurt someone here without reason.” Belle frowned, her tone defensive and a little indignant.

 

“I know that.” He dismissed the comment with a wave of his hand. “A dark mage is not necessary evil, but people have trouble remembering that. Is like they don’t know that magic was first in this world. People tend to forget their history when it suits them.”

 

The Golds nodded and just like that the topic changed again to friendly conversation, Mary joining them a few minutes later. Tea extended to dinner and it wasn’t until later in the evening when Belle and Rumple were alone that they had a chance to discuss their conversation with Arthur.

 

“Do you think Robin is the one? Being a former Genie?” asked Belle while she washed the dishes and passed them to Rumple for drying.

 

“A genie’s magic is neither light or dark, not how we know them. It can change based on intent of the master. But since Robin is free, he is just another magic user. If he has kept a good use of his power and hasn’t learned the Darkness, then it shouldn’t be a problem.”

 

“You can check, though, right? That his magic is Light?”

 

“I can. It should be apparent to my senses fairly quickly.”

 

Belle nodded, finishing with the last dishes and handing them to Rumple. The rest of the night was spent cuddling in the couch quietly talking. They did that a lot now. Talk, tell each other stories, thoughts, truths. It was something that had been missing from their relationship, with all the drama and hectic life of Storybrooke, they had been pulled apart by every misunderstanding, ‘heroes’ that came for their help, people from (mostly) his life trying to hurt their family, memory loss, death, enslavement. They hadn’t had time to actually  _ be _ . And at the end, that had cost them their marriage.


	3. Chapter 3

Everything was ready by 10 o’clock the next morning; bags in the carriage, flat locked and secured, Mary’s promise to contact them if anything happened, a batch of cookies and a few sandwiches from her to secure them on the road. Both Mary and Arthur had already said their goodbyes and the only thing missing was that the Golds would actually get in the vehicle.

 

“Are you ready, sweetheart?” Asked Rumple, flamboyantly opening the door of the carriage.

 

“I am.” Belle replied with a little smirk, taking hold of his hand to help herself up to the front seat.

 

After checking for their first destination in the map and setting up the little location robot, they were on route, both quiet and lost in their own thoughts.

 

The city that had been their home for a very important period in their lives was going to be left behind, probably for the foreseeable future, if Belle’s teacher proved to be good and the portal was opened successfully. So they were both a little gloomy to see it behind them.

 

It wasn’t until they were surrounded by a thick forest that Belle spoke. “This reminds me of our first trip together.”

 

Her husband looked at her with a mix of curiosity and humour. “You mean when I dragged you down to hunt a thief?”

 

Belle rolled her eyes. “I meant when you defended my honour and I realised you were a good man.” She explained softly, giving him a sweet kiss on his cheek, making Rumple fluster and lower his head. Belle knew that if he had his long hair he could be covering his embarrassment and that sweet, shy smile he couldn’t keep from forming on his face.

“Yes, well, he was a good lad.”

 

“Hm. I wonder how they are all doing over there. Hopefully Hyde isn’t such a big problem.”

 

“He is just very angry, maybe all he needs are a few sessions with Archie. Heavens knows everyone in Storybrooke does.”

 

Belle offered a little laugh “He must be getting very rich with everyone. Watch it, he might take your place as the wealthiest man in town.”

 

Rumple snorted. “He is welcomed to that title. Oh, Belle, we are doing the right thing, right?”

 

She took his hand, holding it between both of hers. “We need closure and you need to be able to visit Bae. It’s not fair that your own grandson doesn’t give you the benefit of the doubt and it’s not fair my father chooses to endanger my life and his grandchild’s life just because he thinks you have tricked me or something.”

 

“But what if they don’t understand? Or what if they do? Do we stay there? Come back here?”

 

“If they don’t understand then we come here, there is no doubt about it. If they do, then I don’t really know. I like this world so far and it’s great not to be pulled apart by the latest crisis, but- “she trailed off.

 

“They are family.”

 

“Exactly.” She sighed, placing her head on his shoulder, idly playing with his hand.

 

“I…I think we should stay here. Visit when our baby is older, see how things are. After Snow and Regina’s sister, I don’t think Storybrooke is the right place bring a child into the world, let alone raise one. I don’t think I’ve seen Henry attend school since he was about 12.” He finished dryly.

 

Belle knew it was meant as a joke, to lighten the statement, but the more she thought about it, the more she knew he was right. She felt like Storybrooke was her home, had felt that ever since she realized she couldn’t return to the Enchanted Forest, but then Rumple had died and when she went back, some memories of that year were painful, add that to the years before the curse, after Rumple had sent her away…

 

No, the enchanted forest didn’t feel like home, the Dark Castle was tainted with Zelena and seeing Rumple in a cage, Storybrooke had both good and bad memories, but her father was there, her family was there, even if they didn’t exactly treat her as anything more than a glorified researcher. But she had to think about her child and she couldn’t see herself raising them in a place where her husband was viewed as the ‘evilest evil to ever evil’ and where no one respected them. Aside from the fact that all of the so called villains had decided to set foot on Storybrooke in the last few years. It was crazy.

 

“You’re right.” She surprised her husband, he couldn’t really hide how wide his eyes had gotten, and at this point in their relationship, he really didn’t want to.

 

“I am?” he couldn’t help asking.

 

“We will get to Storybrooke, try to make peace with Henry and my father, but after that, we’ll come back here, to our home. We deserve to just  _ be _ , Rumple.” She explained as she lifted her head from his shoulder, looking at him with a little frown on her face.

 

He stopped the carriage for a moment and gently grabbed her chin, tilting her face a bit and kissed her softly, murmuring a thank you. She smiled into the kiss, resting her head on his chest when they broke apart and Rum started the vehicle again, deciding it was an excellent time to cuddle. It wasn’t long before the movement of the carriage lulled her to sleep.

 

Belle felt something nudge her and she pawed at the thing before reality sat in and she slowly opened her eyes. She saw her husband looking at her with a soft smile, the love pouring out of his eyes, which made her blush and smile sleepily. “Rum?”

 

“We are here, sweetheart.” He replied with a knowing smirk, softly caressing her hair back from her face.

 

Belle stretched her arms and looped them around his neck, giving him a big hug, nuzzling his neck for a few moments until the sleep would finish leaving her body before sitting up straight and looking out the window. They were in front of the inn that would host them for the night. Rum got down first and helped her down, both looking at the façade of the inn. It looked rustic but well maintained. A three storied building with several windows and a lot of greenery. It had a garden in the front with a few chairs and tables, probably for the customers to sit and eat, there was a small pool on the side of the building and several bushes covered in different flowers. It was lovely. A shame they would only enjoy it for a night.

 

Behind them was the centre of the town, with a huge fountain, several people walking about, some of them (mostly kids) focused on a little console, probably some sort of gaming system like that one Henry had, just not slim or with a smooth design. It consisted mostly of gears and cogs sticking out of a rectangular screen, and even had a few wooden pieces built into them. The case was mostly golden, with a few carved  and bronze metal details. It was stylish in a way. People seemed as focused on these devices as the younger ones seemed to be in Storybrooke. There were also people eating dinner outside some bakeries and restaurants, a few carriages slowly passing by, some even had horses drawing them, like the ones in the Enchanted Forest. Belle decided they would explore a bit of the downtown area before having dinner and going to the Inn.

Signing in was easy, since Rum had already called when they were near the outskirts of the town, called Alaville, and in no time they were escorted to their room. It was simple enough, with a King size bed, a nightstand on each side, a small table on a corner with a couple of chairs, a door that led to the bathroom and another one that opened to a small closet. It was sparingly decorated but cosy enough for the night.

 

Alaville was a lovely town, if a bit small. It had the town square that held the most important businesses, four streets going in every direction with homes, a few shops, and that was about it. There were a few houses in the borders of the town, but nothing much besides that. Still, it was good to walk around after spending all day driving the carriage, or asleep in Belle’s case.

 

Once back at their room, after getting a light dinner in one of the restaurants, Belle set out the map of the country Arthur had given them on the table, wanting to see where they would be going next. Rumple sat next to her, looking at the map.

 

“We have to stop at one more town and then Stark City, right?”

 

“Yes. We should arrive at Jasmine Town at about two or three in the morning, if we leave as early as seven, tomorrow.”

 

“You’re going to be exhausted by the time we get to Stark City.”

 

“A few sleepless nights are not going to break me. I did far worse at the castle.”

 

“Oh, I remember those days when you would lock yourself in your tower and forget even to bathe.” She said with an affectionate roll of her eyes, trying very hard not to smirk.

 

Rumple blushed. That had been a very embarrassing day indeed. He had come out of the tower, Belle had been preparing their afternoon tea, even if he hadn’t been attending for about five days, and before he could sit and relax after finally finishing that potion for King George, Belle had stood up with a frown on her face, nose scrunched up. “Rumple!”

 

“What, dearie?” he’d asked, a bit wildered.

 

“Yo-you stink! You haven’t showered for the last five days have you?”

 

“What!?”

 

She’d huffed, grabbing him by the cuffs of his hand closest to her. “Come on, you are going into the bath, you smell awful.” His little wife was very strong on those days, he remembered. It was embarrassment that had allowed him to be dragged like a petulant child to the bath chambers and dropped there with a few towels and soap. After an hour (and he did smell pretty bad) he had been allowed back into the Great Hall with tea, Belle and even a few cookies waiting for him.

“Yes, well, I know better now.” Rumple replied, bringing himself back to the present.

 

Belle looked like she didn’t believe him, but said nothing about it. Instead, she insisted on going to bed, claiming to need her husband. He did not complain at all. Even if they ended up sleeping less than they planned.

 

The next day, Belle woke before Rumple and watching the clock she groaned quietly, it was four thirty in the morning. Lately her body had decided that she either slept all day or nothing at all. There was no in between. At least this time she had rested enough the day before.

 

Giving a little sigh, she turned to contemplate her husband who was quietly snoring, his profile barely visible in the dark room. She was still amazed sometimes of how far they had come in the few months she had been awake. She still remembered the shock she felt when she woke up to a distraught Rumple, looking at her like she was an apparition for a split second before forcing his face into a blank mask, betraying nothing. She had honestly expected her father, but looking around she saw the strange apartment and the even stranger scenery through the window. Belle knew she was in another realm and when she had asked what’d happened, Rumple had explained everything since leaving the Underworld, except how she had woken up.

 

When she had asked that, he had lashed out, saying he was sorry he wasn’t her father, that apparently they were still True Love even if she didn’t want them to be. She had been so shocked that she hadn’t even tried to stop him from leaving the room. It had given her time to think.

 

Being in the room of mirrors had showed her the memories of her biggest regrets and she now understood how unfair she had been to her husband. Even if he had screwed things up and had acted rashly when she had told him about the deal Hades had proposed, he had already lost one child, what had she expected to happen when the easy solution to save his second child had been presented on a silver platen? So she had waited for him, thinking about how to say everything she had been actually feeling and force him, somehow, not to take it the wrong way.

 

It was night before he returned, his expression still closed and his shoulders tense even if he seemed relieved and a little shocked to still find her there. She had been reading a book with a cup of tea next to her.

 

“If you prefer, I can move my things tonight. This place is payed for and I can spin some gold to buy clothes or anything else.” Were the first words out of his mouth. She was taken aback, but she remembered the harsh words she had said before taking on the curse, how he had lashed out then, and took a deep breath.

 

“I don’t want to leave you, Rumple. Please, take a seat.”

 

He nodded and sat, keeping silent. He fiddled with his hands a bit before realising it and stopping. He was nervous.

“I know we didn’t part on good terms, but I don’t regret being your True Love. I never have. Before we talk, because there are a lot of things we need to clear out, I need to apologise.”

 

“What for?”

 

“The town line.” He flinched, but she started to explain before she lost her nerve. “I didn’t give you a chance to explain, I didn’t make an effort to understand what you were going through and I should have. You had told me before that I was your strength but I failed to notice that you needed me and I abused your trust by using the dagger twice. You needed to be stopped, yes, because the hat was not the answer but I could have handled it better, I should have noticed you were suffering and I should have been there for you instead of abandoning you, so I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry for giving you hope at the well, even if I did need time to think about what I wanted. I should have told you that before or simply not shown up. I’m sorry about a lot of things, Rumple, but I’m never sorry about loving you.” The tears were dropping freely from her eyes and she wiped them out, noticing her husband was silently crying too, but still not approaching her.

 

The cleared his throat a couple of times before he began speaking. They had always been a mess in communicating, but he was done with that now. He would be honest and truthful. “You are right; I was out of control. I do regret lying to you, deceiving you and hurting you. The darkness had consumed me and half the time I didn’t know who was thinking and acting, but that is not an excuse for what I did and what I put you through. We have hurt each other many times recently and I would understand if you don’t want to be with me, even if you love me, there are people who just don’t fit. I love you, Belle, I always will, but that doesn’t mean we should be together and I respect that. But, our child, I will know them and I will be a part of their life, even if you end up hating me, I won’t be apart from them and, please, you can’t ask that of me.”

 

“Oh Rumple…” she got up and dropped to his lap, her head resting on his chest, her arms going around him. She probably wasn’t being fair, but she needed him and she loved him and damn it, he was her husband. “I would never, never, keep you from our child. I don’t know if being together is going to be possible, but I do want to try. I’ve always wanted you and you, us, are worth fighting for.”

 

That night had been the beginning of very, very long talks, of walks around the neighbourhood, of dinners, lunches, even if they slept in different beds at night, they still made an effort. At the end of the first week they had returned to sleeping in the same bed and at the end of the first month they had renewed their vows, quietly and very privately in the forest outside the city.

 

A hand on her cheek woke Belle of her daydream, finding her husband looking at her with a sleepy smile on his face. “Trouble sleeping, sweetheart?”

 

She nodded. “The baby seems to love the morning today.”

 

“Do you want to doze off while I check us out and pack?”

 

“No, it’s fine. I don’t want to just lie here and I’m not going back to sleep any time soon.”

He chuckled and gave her a soft peck on the lips before sitting up in bed, leaving the blanket behind him as he got up. He had forgotten to put clothes back on after their activities last night and the sight of him walking towards the bathroom made her want to drag him back to bed, but she knew they had to leave early if they wanted to arrive to their next destination. So, with a groan she covered her face with the blanket, not coming out of her hiding place until she heard the door of the bathroom lock.

 

With some effort she got up and began to put the few things they had gotten out, which was mostly their used clothes and a few books Belle wanted to read before they reached her new teacher, back in the luggage. She showered after Rumple while he went to the reception to pay for their room and store the suitcases in the carriage.

 

The road to Jasmine Town was not the same as the one to Alaville. The path was thinner and a bit darker and for the first time Rumple cursed not being able to use magic less it attracted the wrong kind of people. According to Arthur there was technology available to detect magic when it was being used, it was important to mention those devices were illegal, and since normally magic users were powerful and had riches, it was usually thieves and kidnappers that held those devices.

 

Which is why he was being extra cautious on the trip and wasn’t using any sort of magic. He hoped Robin had a secure place to teach Belle. In the meantime, “Belle.” He said as he stopped the carriage.

 

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, sweetheart, but I would be a lot more comfortable if you would stay inside the carriage until we get to our next stop. The forest feels wrong somehow. Please.”

 

She looked as she was about to argue, but he was looking at her with such worry and nervousness that she nodded and quickly got out of the seat and into the carriage. Belle opened the little window that connected the inside of the carriage with the conductor’s seat to be able to talk to Rumple, since the book she was reading was tiring her and it was honestly a bit boring.

Belle was telling him how their city’s library was going to be looking for a new librarian in a year when Ms. Carnahan would retire and how she wanted to apply for the job when a loud growl made them both stop and look ahead. They couldn’t see much, since night had already fallen but on the corner of his eye, Rumple saw a couple of eyes shining between the bushes.

In a couple of seconds, the lights multiplied and Rumple’s heart rate skyrocketed, all his thoughts focused on protecting his family. Without thinking about it Rumple pushed forward a bit of magic to light the space with a few explosive sounds that did no harm but would hopefully scare the creatures. It was a pack of large wolves but they had a leash around their necks and soon there were people coming from every direction, screaming at them for being magic users. Some even had weapons.

In a heartbeat Rumple waved his hand and transported Belle, the carriage and himself out of there, remembering the map, and landing just outside Jasmine Town, in one of the side roads. From there to Stark City there was only a few hours away, they could do that in plain daylight the following day. He sent a wave of magic around them, checking for life signs, but he could only detect animals and the borders of the town, nothing close to them, so he got down and opened the carriage’s doors, barely having enough time to plant himself firmly in the ground before he had Belle pressed against him, enveloping him in a fierce hug that he gladly returned. “Are you alright?” he asked frantically, running his hands all over her back and stomach when they pulled apart a bit to look at each other.

 

“Yes, yes, no one even had a chance to shoot us or anything. Oh, Rumple, you saved us.”

 

“I would have done anything,  _ anything _ , for you.”

 

They were both shaken and stayed in each other’s arms for some time, until they noticed they were still in the wide open space of the forest and decided best to get to the Inn as quickly as possible.

 

Jasmine Town was a fair bit larger than Alaville, which was normal for a town so near a big city, and fortunately everyone seemed to be focused in their own world to mind newcomers so much. The Inn was near one of the exits of the town, and since it was close to 10 at night and downtown was pretty busy and still alive, this part seemed a bit secluded.

 

The check in was pretty quick, even if the lady at the front desk gave them a weird look at arriving so early, Rumple did his best menacing Mr. Gold and they had the keys to their room in no time. They were both vigilant on their way to the room, checking to see if maybe some of the devices activated while they passed or the odd person was carrying something unusual on them, but thankfully they made it to their destination with no incidents.

 

They barely had enough energy to change clothes and it annoyed Rumple not being able to just magic their sleeping attire on like he had done so many times at the Dark Castle, but he couldn’t risk someone sensing his magic. Perhaps he was acting paranoid, however Belle’s and the child’s safety were his prime concern. So, he slowly removed overcoat, vest, boots and hat before plopping on the bed and tiredly began to remove his shirt and trousers, not bothering to even put on a pair of pyjamas, just dropping everything on a nearby chair and fall to bed, his entire body aching as it adjusted to the soft mattress. Letting out a groan he turned his head to see his wife doing the same, not bothering with any sleeping attires either, making him groan for a different reason. If he hadn’t been so tired…

 

They were both out like a light.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day they woke up late but thankfully they were very close to Stark City, only a few hours away, so it would not affect them at all. Robin was expecting them later in the night, giving them time to get settled.

The woods towards Stark City were very different from the others, the roads more spacious and clean, a lot more vehicles passing by as well. There wasn’t traffic, but there were at least two more carriages ahead of them and a couple going the other way. They didn’t seem to even bother looking at them, but still Rumple and Belle decided it would be better if they only mentioned stories and topics from this land.

 

They were in the middle of discussing baby names (neither could pick one) when Stark City finally came into view. The city was huge;there were tall buildings, even more magnificent than the Dark Castle, a few train roads that were high in the air doing crazy lanes, swirls and turns, more reminiscent of roller coasters than any safe mode of transportation (they would not be getting on those any time soon). The buildings were incredibly varied in both colour and shape, they went from deep red to jasmine to white, even some grey ones. They could also see hot air balloons, but not like the ones Belle had known from the Land without Magic, these resembled ships like Hook’s but with several huge balloons instead of sails.

 

It was beautiful.

 

“I can see why Robin likes this place.” Belle commented, transfixed on a train that was currently doing a very dangerous-looking swirl to avoid a building.

 

“It’s very unique.” Agreed Rumple, trying to drive them safely through the city gates. There were a lot more people here than in their city. It rivalled New York in that aspect and he wasn’t sure how comfortable he was with that. He told Belle to bring out the map and they listened to the little robot give them directions. It worked as the GPS on the Land without Magic, but the interface was interesting; a golden, small robot with a few translucent external pieces so you could see the cogs working.

 

The little guy gave them the directions perfectly and in no time they were headed to the hotel to drop off the bags and eat something that wasn’t a sandwich before their meeting with Robin. For all this world had to offer, they hadn’t yet made much of an advance in personal and wireless communication. Most, according to Mary, still relied on cards, magic and this world’s version of a telegraph. It kept cities more apart than together and they were prone to evolve in their own way, but it would change over time.

 

The hotel looked more like Gold’s mansion in Storybrooke, just, a lot bigger, probably twice or thrice the size. It was salmon too, which tore a snicker out of Belle when she pointed it out.

The lady at the front desk was very polite and she led them to a bellboy that grabbed their suitcases and led them to their room. After leaving a generous tip, Rumple closed the door and after making sure Belle was sitting comfortable on the bed, he fell on it, groaning as his muscles adapted to the soft mattress.

“Don’t fall asleep on me now, husband” Belle teased, going to caress his nose, making him smile and grab her hand with almost no strength, giving her a kiss on her palm.

 

“I won’t, I won’t. Besides, I’m hungry.”

 

“Let me change and freshen up and we’ll go. You should, too, or you’ll fall asleep.”

 

The man opened his eyes, clearly thinking about taking a bit of a nap while his wife did her thing. “Oh, fine. It won’t do to be late.”

They took the carriage to Robin’s address, a bit shocked as to the simplicity of the building. To be honest, they were both thinking it would be some grand mansion or house, but instead the former Genie lived in a flat in the middle of town, right in front of the city’s largest park. An old couple was leaving the building as they were trying to enter it, so they opened the door for them and they took advantage of the opportunity and went inside the building. According to Arthur he lived in 4B, and both Rumple and Belle gave a sigh of relief when they saw that the elevator was working. Even if it resembled more the old useless thing from Storybrooke’s library.

 

Rumple rang the doorbell and a few moments later a tall man with olive skin and golden eyes opened it. He had a kind face, not much older than Belle perhaps, even if he was in reality a few millennia old, with curly black hair that almost reached his shoulders and dressed in a simple white shirt and trousers common for this world. Upon seeing them, the man let out a big smile. “You must be Arthur’s friends! Rumplestiltskin and Belle, right? Perfect! You’re a bit early but that’s alright, come in, come in!” he said, standing to the side and gesturing with a grand wave of his hand. “I’ll put the kettle on, sit on the couch right there and don’t let Kuby scare you, he is a people lover!”

 

Apparently Kuby was a tiger who was currently launching on the couch Robin had indicated them to sit.

 

“And I thought you were a hoarder.” Whispered Belle, trying to take everything in. Rumple could only nod. As a Dark One he had collected many things over the centuries. Some for deals, some for curiosity, study, knowledge. He had a vault waiting for him at the Dark Castle, he had rooms full of junk (there was no other word for it, to be honest) but Robin’s place was full to the brink of stuff. He had lamps, carpets, toys, jewels, wooden figurines, staffs, swords, helmets, everything you could possibly imagine, it was there. They could even see a row of bookshelves lining the hallway to the other rooms.

 

They approached the couch very carefully, not wanting to disturb the animal who was napping. At that moment Robin came back with a tray. “Oh, Kuby, come on you, lazy beast, move it. We have guests.” In response to the light scowling, the tiger opened one eye, contemplating how much he wanted to argue the point and after a moment gave a big yawn and stood up in the most dignified manner possible before slowly walking towards a huge plush sofa, tail high in the air, and laying on it. “Thank you,” responded Robin before facing his guests, “Oh please, sit. Kuby is not dangerous, think of it as a huge cat. Now, how do you take your tea?”

 

“Two sugars for me and three for Rumple, please.”

 

“Of course! Bit of a sweet tooth, no?” he asked with a big grin, snapping his fingers, a cloud of blue smoke enveloped the sugar bowl and five sugar cubes came out of it, dancing a bit as they poured themselves to their respective cups.

 

Rumple was very focused on the former Genie, so Belle was the first to speak after tasting the tea (it was very good). “Robin, thank you again for agreeing to teach me.”

 

“Oh, it was my pleasure! Arthur told me you wanted to return home to your family. I know a bit about what that’s like, so anything I can do.” He looked at Rumple for a couple of seconds. “And yes, Rumplestiltskin, my magic is Light, even if I was a genie before, you can stop scanning me.” He finished with a smile.

 

Even if the Dark One was shocked that the man could sense his magic, he didn’t show it. “I had to make sure.” Was the only thing he said, trying not to show much, but he sensed he hadn’t fooled the other man at all.

 

“I understand. I probably would have been apprehensive if my wife and child were under any kind of danger, which they are not.”

 

“You know? Arthur told you?” Asked Belle with a mix of shock and a bit of anger towards her friend.

 

“Oh, no, of course not. Arthur is very protective of his friends. I can just sense the child. A true love baby is really powerful on their own after all and Belle here has a very light heart, excellent for light magic.”

 

“Oh. The baby is alright then?” Asked Rumple, a bit mystified about the power of the man across from him.

 

“Yes! Very healthy, actually. Why wouldn’t he or she be?” he asked with a large grin, a bit confused. Well, that answered one question of Rumple’s. Whether the sleeping curse still lingered on Belle and their baby, it’s darkness somehow intervening. He hadn’t been brave enough to try to check for himself. Oh, they had been to a doctor and he had given them a clean bill of health, but it still worried them. 

 

“Belle was recently under a sleeping curse to protect our baby. I was worried...”

 

“About a magic print? No, it’s alright. They are both fine.”

 

“Thank you.” They both said at the same time.

 

He shook off their thanks with a wave of his hand, giving them a reassuring smile.

 

“So, Belle, you want to learn magic, right? Why?”

 

“We want to visit our family, try to mend things.”

 

Robin gave an approving nod. “Good, good. Light magic, much like dark magic is all about feelings.” He waved his hands a two balls appeared, one white and one a darkish purple, moving as he talked. “You need to feel something wonderful to be able to cast it.” The white ball shone even brighter, almost reaching a golden hue. “You can’t taint it with negative feelings or darkness can corrupt your abilities.” The dark purple ball began to mix with the light one, and after a few moments both turned to one bigger and darker ball. With a wave of his hand, it was gone.

“So, to start, you have to find a moment in your life that you feel like is untaintable, that’s your strongest power. If you want, your husband will help me with a few books I need to investigate while you meditate. Kuby will be accompanying you.”

 

After kissing Belle on the head, Rumplestiltskin got up and walked with Robin to the hallway, leaving her with her thoughts. An untaintable moment. Before the banishment, her most precious memory had been her wedding, but now that part of her marriage all felt awful, even if she could appreciate them, they no longer felt so pure. Her time at the Dark Castle had been wonderful, but their parting and her imprisonment had left room for darkness to creep up at her. Her life before Rumple had been content and happy, but her mother’s death had left a mark.

 

Even finding out about her baby had been met with Hades’ contract. She groaned, her face hiding behind her hands. This was harder than what she thought. She really did have wonderful memories of Rumple, especially the last few months, fixing their relationship and having no interruptions at all. Much like their time at the Dark Castle, how they would have been if they hadn’t been separated.

 

That’s when it hit her! The baby’s first sonogram, the equipment was very similar in both worlds and hearing the baby’s heartbeat for the first time had been magical. Seeing her world reduced to a little screen, the tears of joy and gratitude on her husband’s face. That was her moment. One that could never be tainted.

 

Belle was so glad that she went straight for the hallway where she could hear the murmurs of the two men. She opened the door that was already partially opened and spotted Rumple reading a book while Robin was thinking about something, looking very focused with a hand stroking his chin, tilted hip and one arm supporting the other. Belle had come to realize that his movements were very exaggerated and sort of cartoonish. It was fun, kind of like Jefferson. “I’ve found it!”

Both men looked up but Robin was the first to react, clapping his hands with glee. “Perfect!” a few celebratory honks appearing, startling the couple. It barely made Robin flinch.

 

“Now we can begin.”


	5. Chapter 5

It had been three days and Belle could only light a candle with her magic. Now she was trying to levitate one, but with no success. Which, to Robin, was actually very good, but Rumple and Belle were in a bit of a hurry.

 

“You can’t pressure magic, Belle, you can’t taint it.” Explained Robin for the 5 th time, while petting Kudy. “Why are you and that husband of yours in such a hurry, anyway?”

 

“We don’t want to go when I’m very far in my pregnancy or the baby to be born on Storybrooke.” Belle explain while she closed her eyes and lighted the candle and a couple more.

 

“Yes, you’ve told me that, but why? I thought that was where your family was.” He drooled while conjuring some smoke that resembled people of various sizes and genres hugging, lifting up a sign that said ‘Family’ in a pretty cursive.

 

Belle sighed, choosing to sit on the couch next to Kuby, petting the tiger. “You know who Rumple is, right?”

 

“The oh mighty Dark One, yes, he told me yesterday while we were investigating a few things.” A few black clouds appeared, getting evaporated by golden light.

 

“Right. Well, his grandson is in Storybrooke and so is my father, but they both did us wrong, just because of who he is. They don’t know him, not really, and the rest of the family sold me and the baby out to an enemy of ours. We just can’t trust them.”

 

Robin conjured a stop sign with flashing lights and sat up. “Hold on, they did what!?”

 

“Yeah, not Henry, his-our- grandson, but the extended family. Henry did other things, but he is a kid and he is the only true family Rumple’s got, his last connection to his son. We have to give him another chance and my father needs to know that I can make my own choices and, well, he is my father.”

 

Her teacher nodded, a couple of cups of tea appearing near his head, one flying over to Belle. 

 

“So, you don’t really want to stay in this Storybrooke, right?”

“We’ve talked about it, but no. It’s too dangerous and even if Henry and my father see reason, it’s not enough. We would have to live looking over our shoulder at every turn. Sacrificing everything for them, we are done with that.”

 

“I think you just really don’t want to go back, even if it’s for a little while. You’re blocking your own channels.”

 

“But, but I do want to. Not only for us, but for our child. Having family is important, someday things might change and we’ll be able to trust them, but if we don’t take that step then we’ll never know.”

 

“Then use that, focus on that and don’t think about your family, think about the reason of getting back and now try to open your mind. You’re letting fear block you.”

 

Belle nodded and closed her eyes. She could do this. She would not let fear ruin hers, her Rumple and their baby’s chance of having a family. Of knowing where you come from. Even if later on the baby doesn’t want anything to do with Storybrooke, they will have a choice.

 

“Belle” Rumple said reverently from the doorway, he had been out getting all of them lunch. 

 

immediately she opened her eyes and gasped when not only was the candle levitating, so was the tea Robin had conjured, a little golden light surrounding the objects.

 

“I did it!” Belle exclaimed proudly, clapping her hands together in glee. In her excitement she got up and went to Rumple, almost making him knock over the bags when she hugged him.

 

Rumple chuckled. “I’m proud of you, love.”

 

“Thank you, Robin.” Belle turned around to talk to her teacher that was currently floating in the middle of the room, a huge grin on his face.

 

“It was all you. I’m just so happy! Now we can start with the really fun stuff. Like making Kuby blue!” The tiger scowled at that and got up from the couch to go hide at the library, tail held high. 

 

“He’ll get over it.” Robin said waving a hand in the air.

 

A few weeks later and Belle was making great progress. The theoretical part of magic and the potion making came very easily to her, jokingly saying she had paid more attention than she had realized when they were at the Dark Castle. It was the execution of spells that gave her the most trouble. She was currently practising opening a small portal to Robin’s kitchen while they were in the woods outside of Stark City, Rumple watching for any kind of people lurking near them. So far, they were the only ones there.

 

Belle’s portal had been getting stronger and more stable every day and both Robin and Rumple decided she should be ready to open the portal in a few more days. To be honest, it was getting easier and easier to open portals. They both figured that the bridges between worlds were getting stronger. So far, in their investigations while Belle practiced, they hadn’t come up with a reason for that, or a severe side effect to explain it. For the moment.


	6. Henry talks

Another week passed, and when they could drop a quick visit to Mary and back without interference or help from Robin nor Rumple, they knew she was ready to try opening the portal to Storybrooke.

 

Just like the first time, their bags were around them, the door already summoned by Rumple, with Robin and Kuby standing next to them. “How long will you be there?” the former Genie turned friend asked.

 

“We don’t know. Probably a couple of weeks? Maybe a month. It all depends on them.” Responded Belle, Rumple nodding and squeezing her hand.

 

“Well, you make sure to visit. You can just pop in now. I’ll expect my best student to resume her training, at least when the baby is born. Magic tends to get a bit weird in the last months of pregnancy.”

 

“Good to know.”

 

Robin hugged Belle and even Rumple and they both patted Kuby on its head. It was time.

Grabbing her husband’s hand, Belle closed her eyes and thought of her child, their future and their destination, and shot a burst of golden magic towards the door. Within moments the portal opened, Robin cheering from behind them. The couple smiled and Rumple levitated their suitcases to follow them as they passed the door.

 

They arrived at the front of the pawn shop. It was late afternoon, so there were not many people around, which was good. With a wave of his hand, Rumple transported them to their pink house to drop their bags, not really wanting to even look at the Pawn Shop at the moment. Even if he could spot something wrong in there. They had something to do first.

 

Both Rumple and Belle went to the cemetery where Bae was buried. With a heavy body and even heavier soul, Rumple collapsed in front of the grave, gently helping Belle to sit on the grass. “I’m sorry for missing your birthday, son.” He started talking, taking a firm hold on Belle’s hand, grateful beyond measure for her support, “I was in a new land, we were, me and Belle. We worked things out, Bae, and I’m trying to be the man you both deserve. I’m being honest and so far I’ve kept the darkness at bay, using it instead of letting it use me. Oh, my boy, you’re going to be a big brother. Your sister or brother are going to be a good 300 years younger than you, but I’ll promise you they’ll know you, Belle and I will make sure of it. If all goes well, Henry will too.”

“I’ve missed you, Baelfire, that adventure we had back home in the Enchanted Forest was something I will always treasure and I promise you I’ll do everything in my power so Henry can be a part of our family. Don’t worry about your papa, he has been behaving and we are happy. He wasn’t the only one who had to work on some things, but True Love finds a way.”

 

“It does.” Rumple replied softly, lifting her hand to gently place a kiss on her wrist, focusing once again on the grave. He told his son about the Land of Untold Stories, how much he would have liked it, the friends they made there and the freedom that was having no reputation at all, being just another wizard in a land full of those. He even told him about the accident that had led to him having short hair now.

 

They spent a few hours sitting there, talking and sharing their little adventures with Bae, even telling Belle a few stories of when he was a boy, especially when he was a baby. It was cathartic in many ways and they both left the cemetery with less of a heavy heart.

 

One week after their arrival, neither Rumple or Henry had made contact with each other. Rumple was tending the shop with the help of Belle when she wasn’t in the library. She had begun setting her library up in a good shape a couple of days after arriving and was receiving some much needed help from Leroy and his brothers, both to sort the books into a proper order once and for all and to keep an eye out, in case someone got stupid and tried to harm the future child of the Dark One. Rumple, even if he knew they were doing it more for Belle than for him, felt a great appreciation for the dwarfs. 

 

Nobody knew of their plans, that they weren’t staying, but both Rumple and Belle felt they had to do something with their time. Especially since Rumple found out the shop had been broken into. Now, he was cataloguing everything again and selecting items to take back to the Land of Untold Stories. Belle had been doing that with the books at the library too. Mostly novels and maternity books that could be replaced.

 

The bell on the door rang, indicating someone coming in. Most likely Belle, since it was almost lunch time, but there wasn’t a lovely voice calling for him, or any voice really, so probably the Charming’s or someone wanting something. He sighed, just in case… “Belle? Is everything alright?” He asked as he stepped through the curtain to the front of the shop. He was not expecting his grandson there. They both froze, Rumplestiltskin mid-step and Henry looking at him, a shocked look on his face. The Dark One wondered what did exactly his grandson expected to find for him to look so surprised, since it was his shop to begin with.

“Henry” he acknowledged, not really knowing what to do, setting his face in a blank mask, slowly walking towards the counter, trying to put some space between them, some sort of defence, hoping Henry came in peace.

“I…I…,” the boy’s eyes were filling with unshed tears, but he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, composing himself. Rumple knew not to interrupt, Bae used to do that when he was a child and was trying to sort his thoughts. It was amazing how much Henry looked like his Bae, even if they had had so little time together. “I’m so sorry, grandpa. For putting Belle and the baby in danger, for almost killing them, for not worrying about any of you as I should’ve and not because it’s the right thing to do, but because we are family and somehow I forgot that when it mattered the most. I know I don’t know you, not really, but I want to, not just because you knew my dad, but because you’re my grandfather and you just wanted to do right by your wife and kid and I let Hook,  _ Hook _ , convince me it was not true, when I know better. I knew with Pan, and even when I put Belle in danger you never hurt me, it had never even crossed your mind, had it?” Rumple barely had a chance to shake his head in the negative before Henry was talking again, tears flowing freely down his cheeks, “and I know that, I do, but I was so stupid and even in the Underworld I never worried enough, no one did, about you or Belle, and I don’t even know why. Belle is like the coolest person here, she is so kind and smart and I want you two to be happy. I’m so sorry and I don’t expect you or Belle to forgive me, but I just had to apologize.”

 

Henry never knew a man could move so fast without using magic, but one moment his grandfather was behind the counter and the next he was hugging him. It was the first time they hugged, Henry realized with horror, placing his arms around him even more firmly and crying in earnest now. He didn’t know if this meant he was forgiven or not but he didn’t care, he just wanted a hug from his grandpa.

 

Neither knew how much time it actually passed, but Henry’s cries calmed and eventually they both let go. Henry opted to ignore the redness on his grandpa’s eyes.

 

“I do forgive you, lad, but it is not me to whom you should apologize. Not truly. You know that, right?”

 

“Of course. I was going to Belle’s first but she had Leroy and Doc with her and I,” he looked away, cheeks colouring, “I got scared.” He admitted.

 

Rumplestiltskin nodded. “Understandable. She is coming for lunch in a few minutes. Come, let’s have something to drink. I might have a soda here somewhere.” He said, going to the back room. Henry followed, it took him a few tries to talk, while Rumple was looking for the mini-fridge Mr. Gold had installed during the first curse. “Actually, if you don’t mind, I would like to try some tea.”

Rumple turned around, not able to hide the surprise on his face, but nodded nonetheless. His grandson was trying and with a small smile he set to make the tea. “You are right in one thing, Henry. You don’t know me, you probably know my story from your book, but there are many things that are not there, things only Belle knows, things I didn’t get to share with your dad. I want you to know me and I want to know you, but you have to promise me something, before I share things with you.”

 

“Anything.”

 

“You can’t tell these things to anyone other than Belle.” At his surprised look, the Dark One continued, “I have many enemies, my boy, and some of those enemies are also family through you. Belle and I learned this the hard way; no one in this town likes me and no one except a few care about my wife. So, any information I share with you might be used against me and mine, do you understand?”

 

It was a hard truth, but Henry had realized as much in the months his grandparents had been away. Talking about everything with Violet had helped, she was honest and sought the positive side of things, and telling everything to an outsider had put a lot of things in perspective. “I do. I won’t tell anyone, I swear, but, if you know this of Storybrooke, why did you and Belle return? Were you not happy in the Land of Untold Stories?”

 

“We were, but Belle has to solve some things with her father and I, well, you were the reason, for me. It was Bae’s birthday and his family was at odds. I didn’t want that to be the norm if possible, but it was Belle that had the idea of coming back, to give both our families another chance.”

 

“Seems I have to thank her for that.” He said, while taking a cautionary sip of his tea. It wasn’t as bad as he expected. He added a few more sugar cubes and was pretty happy with his result. He could see the appeal in tea.

 

The calm atmosphere was short lived, though, as the bell rang again, Belle’s voice tensing all of Henry’s muscles, making him nearly drop the cup. Taking a deep breath, he left the porcelain on the table, not wanting to risk breaking it and stood up. His grandpa was already up and on the other side of the curtain, probably warning his wife of the unexpected visit. His stomach was clenching and twisting, but before he could do anything to either run or calm himself, the curtain opened again, this time showing Belle, followed closely by his grandpa. He could feel his heart breaking all over again seeing them together, one family almost destroyed because of his recklessness, but he willed himself not to cry, at least until he had said his piece.

 

“Henry! How are you?” Belle asked politely, her hand going automatically to her belly. A defensive stance. Henry almost recoiled from that alone.  She was starting to show. 

 

“Belle! I’m, I’m fine a-and you? Here, sit, do you want something? Tea?” he asked, pulling the chair away from the table so she could sit.

 

“Sure, thank you, Henry. We are both fine. Was there something you needed?”

 

There was no malice in her voice, not a trace of pain of any sort, just an indifference he hadn’t seen her use before. “Yeah, actually. I just…I-I wanted to apologize to you and to the baby. I already talked to grandpa Rumple, but I need you to know how sorry I am. I was stupid and I didn’t think on the consequences my actions would have on you. There is no reason other than I was selfish and I didn’t think of anyone’s suffering but mine. I know we are family and I haven’t been a good grandson, ever. I get so wrapped up in the other side of my family that I forget you are part of it but that stops now. If you allow me, that is. I’ll understand if you don’t, I wouldn’t blame you, either of you. Just know that I’m sorry. I’ll…I’ll better go…”

 

Before he could move a muscle, Belle was already hugging him, it was impressive the speed his grandparents had, especially since Belle was pregnant. “Thank you for that Henry, and I do forgive you. Everyone makes the wrong choices sometimes.” She explained into his hair. After a few moments composing himself, Henry pulled away, trying to dry his tears without being too obvious about it.

 

“Thank you, both of you.”

 

“We are family, Henry.” Responded Rumplestiltskin, his hand resting on top of Henry’s shoulder. “Hopefully in time you can come to understand this side of the family a little better, but remember our deal.”

 

“I will, I promise.”

 

“Good, then, let’s go have lunch!” said Belle, breaking the tense atmosphere and lighting the moment.

 

The three of them sat, after Rumple conjured another burger from Granny’s (I left the money on the counter, don’t look at me like that, Belle) and chatted; Henry told them of how they had defeated Hyde and the evil queen and in turn Belle and Rumple told him about the Land of Untold Stories, how he had woken Belle with True Love’s Kiss (third time's the charm, or so they say) and how they had lived in peace the last couple of months. Of their mutual understanding they didn’t mention Belle’s magic or meeting Robin, even if they forgave the boy, they were still cautious about what they said. At least for now.

 

Moe, on the other hand, proved to be even more difficult. He refused to talk when Rumple was present, so Belle went with Leroy. All they did was yell. Even the dwarf had to step in between them to stop them before Moe got stupid and tried to raise a hand to Belle.

 

The second time, a few days later, wasn’t much better, but at least they just talked, even if the content was practically the same. Moe wasn’t willing to accept Rumple and thought Belle was bewitched, even the news of a grandchild didn’t even make him smile.

 

After the third time, almost a month after arriving to Storybrooke, Belle stormed into the Pawn Shop, startling Henry enough that he almost broke a watch he had been trying (and failing) to fix. He had been coming to the shop a few days after school and some others he helped around at the library. He was a good lad. But, like most men at seeing a woman in distress, and not wanting to get in the middle of anything, he gave a quick ‘I’ll get out of your hair’ before dashing off to who knows where.

 

“I can’t believe him!” yelled Belle, coming to stand in front of Rumple.

 

The man sighed. “I’m sorry, love.” He tried to hug her, but she was too furious, opting to storm into the back room. Rumple flipped the sign to close and locked the door, adding a little blocking spell.

 

“He just doesn’t understand, Rumple! He paints me like a perfect little girl who knows nothing of this world. It’s like I never left Avonlea in the first place. He asked me to leave you and get out of Storybrooke! As if I would do that. I can’t reason with him.”

 

“I’m sure with time-“

 

“No.” she interrupted him. “I’m done with him. At least for now. When we come visit Henry I’ll try again, but I’m done.”

 

“Love,” he sighed, “I’m not the first to like the guy, in fact, I would be perfectly happy to never see the man again, but he is your father, so it’s your choice. If you don’t want to talk to him, then that’s that. Come here.”

 

He opened his arms and she went right to them, tears starting to flow freely down her cheeks. “Damn hormones.” She complained half-heartedly, making Rumple chuckle.

 

“I love you, Belle.”

 

“I love you, too.”

 


	7. Epilogue

They stayed for another week, mostly for Belle to place the library in Nova’s hands and for them to spend as much time as possible with Henry, even if his moms were making it difficult. They promised to visit when the baby was born. Belle was thinking that maybe Henry could visit in the future and teach him a bit of magic to open the portal, in case he needed or wanted to visit them. The boy was very excited about that.

 

Leroy, with Granny, Nova and Geppetto, after finding out they were leaving, made them a gift. A lovely cradle, carved with roses and chipped cups, with a few stuffed crocodiles, dragons, and a copy of the Land without Magic’s Beauty and the Beast. It was a lovely gesture and it brought tears to Belle’s eyes and a sincere smile from Rumple. Yes, visiting this town was going to be possible.

 

Once they were back, both in their flat, with their luggage and new cradle in the living room they decided to visit Mary, to let her know they were back before she found out from someone else and gave them a good scowl. To their surprise both Arthur and Robin were there with her. They were greeted like old friends and it was right there, drinking tea with their friends and in peace with their grandson, that the Golds finally felt at home.

 


End file.
